Redbud Generating Facility

Redbud Generating Plant- Natural gas (combined cycle) generation plant
Luther, OK
Completed in 2005
36% (443 Megawatts) purchased by GRDA in 2008. OG&E and OMPA are also joint owners.
While coal is the always-on-primary-generation source and hydro is a quick-on-to-meet-peak-demand source, GRDA also added an intermediate generation source – natural gas – to its portfolio in 2008. The Authority owns a 36 percent interest in the Redbud Plant, a natural gas electric generation plant located near Luther, Oklahoma.

Like coal fired boilers, generating electricity from natural gas requires a heating process, but from a cold start that process is quicker with natural gas. Once in operation, gas-fired units can burn efficiently for extended periods. However, because they can be started and stopped more quickly and efficiently than coal, they can be easily taken off-line when needed. Thus, natural gas generation is a good intermediate generation resource to complement both hydro (quick start) and coal (base load, always on).